Well, this is the end of the line, the last blog post that Peter and I will be sharing with you. As he and I wrap up this semester, one important aspect of completing both our Capstone and our Degree requirements is the completion of our e-portfolio, which you have also been working on throughout the semester.
Peter's Perspective:
In our e-portfolios we are given the chance to present any information we find fit for future employers. Once this information is presented we are not done. We have one key assignment and it’s reflecting on the information we present. An example of this would be in my e-portfolio I plan on attaching a copy of my transcript. Like a lot of people there are flaws in my transcript. A quick example being my freshmen year I managed to fail a class. Rather then not using my transcript as evidence because of this flaw in my reflection I mention it. I point out that while I did fail this class it was an elective, and then I go on to highlight the positives that I wanted to take from my transcript such as the 3.8 GPA in upper level courses. This is different then just describing the evidence in your portfolio. You are not just describing something that is obvious to whoever might be reading but rather highlighting the points you hope will stick out from your evidence. Overall this is the chance to really tell your audience what they should be looking for and expect from your e-portfolio.
My Perspective:
Looking back on my years spent working towards my degree, I find that I really had a difficult time finding a niche within the university. I've changed my major multiple times and even within IDS I've changed my areas of focus and minors- these changes are not flaws, instead they reflect the diversity of my interests, my ability to accomplish merit within various areas of study. I'm hoping that my e-portfolio, in showing my prowess in multiple fields, can also reflect my ability to work under diverse circumstances and showcase the multitude of my skills. Actually reflecting back on my education helps me to appreciate what I have been able to take away from my courses, whether difficult or easy, and whether or not I liked my professor. The e-portfolio reflects my own understanding of myself, which might not be accessible through a resume alone. We're interdisciplinary students, we have layers of interests and skills, it's just a matter of showcasing the validity and the actual value of our degrees, and showcasing how our course of study has benefited and shaped us as capable individuals.
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Last week we talked about interviews and the results of them. Your humble mentors suggested that you all give perfectinterview.com a try. This week, hopefully with the experience of doing a simulated online interview, we will talk about the best ways to answer questions. Like always you will see contrasting ideas and differences between the two of us. We hope like always to continue hearing your ideas and views on ours. Enjoy!
Peter’s Perspective: I think the best way to answer questions is to be direct and positive. When I say direct I mean to keep details to a minimum. I believe in an interview you want to show your attributes through the stories ideas, not the tiny unneeded details. The positive side of that I feel like is obvious, just show a pleasant disposition. An example of this would be question 3 in my interview. (Link on bottom) This question summed up asks what I disliked about my previous job. Rather then letting out twenty little things that I did dislike I went straight to a positive of me wanting to move on. A simple answer like this is usually quite functional in my view. This is the way I feel about all interviews. Whether your in a phone interview, or a panel interview attack it the same. This is my personal style I like being direct. I feel like being positive gets you further then being negative. You have to find what works for you. To have a successful interview you have to feel comfortable. Show your relaxed and confident in what you have to say and that is the best you can do.
The last thing to talk about is salary. The appropriate time to ask about salary would be at the end of the interview. There is a clause to this in my opinion. If the interviewer does not ask if you have any questions do not bring any up. You should be informed prior to attending of what position you are going for and basic idea of what you will be doing. That is your responsibility and if you’re not being hired on the spot you should not press the issue. It could be a multiple interview kind of business.
Mary's Perspective: Like Peter, I feel that the most effective way to answer questions is to first be direct. Employers tend to ask questions for specific reasons, or so I have found, and answering in a roundabout manner works against you. As I mentioned before, confidence is definitely a key quality in answering what might come across as a non-standard interview question. Confidence is so key because, as I also mentioned before, you need to convey your own security in your skills and values as an individual. Although we all will want and need jobs post-graduation, I also feel that being confident, direct, and honest in your results will help you to find employment within an establishment that will help you flourish- I don't think it's worth lieing or manipulating your answers so you fit in. In terms of phone interviews and panel interviews, you have to be very aware of your communication- the phone is obviously a very critical way to conduct an interview, only your words will convey your qualifications and your character to a prospective employer.
Finally, in terms of discussing salary, I believe it is poor etiquette to blatantly ask, but I also feel that it is an important detail to be discussed. I would consider discussing this detail at the end of, or if possible, outside of the scope of the interview.
Hey guy another week bites the dust and here we are back again. This week were discussing practice interviews and the benefits we took from them. We definitely recommend that you sing up and give it a try. Peter’s Interview Experience I really found this interview practice useful. It gave me the chance to see questions in the format they will be used, as well as an opportunity to review what are deemed appropriate answers. The question that really stumped me off the bat was what was your favorite course and why? I had to really think about it and why it was important other then “it was easy” or “there were lots of cute girls”. This interview reminded me that interviewers are going to be asking very broad questions rather then content specific and its about knowing your strengths. Overall I really liked this and think if you guys are not already signed up for it you give it a try.
The one thing I took from this interview was that being optimistic and showing a true happiness in your life and what your doing will get you further then being bitter and resentful. In the example answer for the question what did you dislike about your former job they are very broad and positive with their example saying they chose to move on to better themselves and their careers. This is way better then saying “the stupid manager” or “all the hard work”
http://www.perfectinterview.com/online/text_viewer.asp?id=F5EB82FA-EB8D-46F3-9610-1C312EAA3C19&mediatype=flv Mary’s Interview Experience 5.) Draft a reflection of at least a paragraph about your practice interview, commenting on the questions asked and your responses to the questions. You might comment on what questions were problematic. What were the strengths of your responses? What could you improve in your responses? How did you responses compare to the "Alternate Response"? What did you learn from the "Coach?"
I thought the practice interview was a great way to refresh myself as I beging to prepare to seek out a new career after graduation. I felt that most of the questions were fairly straightforward, and while I focused on formulating my own answers, the alternate responses were also very strong, offering a different and enlightening perspective. One of the questions I found the most difficult was, "Tell me what you think your most significant achievement was in the past couple of years". Since I've been so busy with school, I tried to emphasize my education as one of my strongest achievements within the last couple of years. In terms of improving my responses, I feel that most of my answers would stay the same, while taking into account the type of work/career that I am being interviewed for.
6.) At the end of the reflection give one question about interviewing or a piece of advice that you've gained in your interviewing experiences.
Honestly, I feel that one of the most critical aspects of the interview is being both comfortable AND confident within yourself. Prospective employers often ask questions that are not necessarily personal, but are reflective of your personality. In general, confidence is the best thing to have and exude.
7.) Click on "Review Saved Interviews." Click on the "Share" button. E-mail yourself your interview and include the links in your posting. http://www.perfectinterview.com/online/review_gateway.asp?id=3020926&type=standard
We are all inclined to develop work habits that are both negative and positive. These habits will stick with us and become our professional philosophy's. There are various philosophy's when it comes to the professional world and finding yours will really give you the ability to highlight your strengths in your resume. So without further delay here are our views. I have always viewed my professional life as something that must be taken serious. My philosophy is if you put your head down and work you will wreak the rewards of your hard work. As an employee I have already benefited from this philosophy in two various jobs. The first was while working at a hospital, as a secretary, I got moved up from front desk secretary to E.R secretary. It entitled me to a higher pay as well as more responsibility. I worked hard in my original post and was able to handle a desk alone that normally required to secretaries. My hard work paid off. The other job was working in a restaurant. I started as a food runner but I worked hard and was moved up to the server position where I have the opportunity to make a lot more money. I did not do anything special I just followed my work philosophy of being the hardest worker. This philosophy is one that is not very interdisciplinary but more focuses on perfecting the idea of being a hard worker. From here the other skills needed to be successful can be obtained. This philosophy has allowed me to alter my career goals and reach for higher positions in every field of my life. I don’t see myself as a bottom of the chain worker because I work to hard for the lower levels. Tying this into last weeks topic my work ethic is something I highlight in my resume. I make sure my future employers know that I have been rewarded for this dedication, and the work ethic I am bringing to their companys. I even have applied this into my law school applications by highlighting in my personal statement the success I have achieved through my work ethic, and how this ties into school. What is your work philosophy? Do you think that the habits you have at a part time job now will hurt or help you in your future carreer? These are the questions you should ask yourself and once you figure out you will be able to easily write a resume and cover letter that explain you as a worker.
Obviously, since Peter and I are very different people, we've had a lot of different professional experiences.
Personally, although I am not yet involved in the professional field of art, humanities, or political science, my personal philosophy in term of work does and will continue to apply to the job I hold and my future jobs. First, I think you have to accept that regardless of your job, at some point or another you are going to have to do work that you're not passionate about or don't enjoy. I also understand that my superiors, while in a higher position than me, are not always the bearers of knowledge as expected- like every other human, they are fallible and make mistakes and aren't perfect. In general, I look at every job or every situation that occurs at work as a learning experience. As tired as I am of my current job, I carefully consider all the skills that I am gaining. It totally sucks having to kiss up to customers all the time, but it teaches you how to communicate and listen more effectively, it also reinforces the necessity of empathy. I believe this approach is interdisciplinary because I am trying to integrate the skills I have gained from various fields and combine them in an effective way. Finally, my career goals have altered significantly since I started college, to the point that I feel a little unsure about what I want to do at this point. I'm still working on finding myself, too!
In contrast, Peter's Perspective:
I have always viewed my professional life as something that must be taken serious. My philosophy is if you put your head down and work you will wreak the rewards of your success. As an employee I have already benefited from this philosophy in two various jobs. The first was while working at a hospital I got moved up from front desk secretary to E.R secretary. It entitled me to a higher pay as well as more responsibility. The other job was working in a restaurant. I started as a food runner but since I worked so hard was moved up to the server position where I have the opportunity to make a lot more money. This philosophy is one that is not very interdisciplinary but more focuses on perfecting the idea of being a hard worker. From here the other skills needed to be successful can be obtained. This philosophy has allowed me to alter my career goals as to reach for higher positions. I don’t see myself as a bottom of the chain worker because I work to hard for the lower levels of business.
In terms of highlighting your interdisciplinarity, a resume can be an important tool in terms of conveying the relationships between your different areas of study. In presenting a resume to a potential employer, you can convey the skills acquired from your various areas of study and how these skills combine to make you a desirable candidate. In terms of content, I feel that while it is necessary to showcase your academic record, it is equally as important to highlight your professional experiences, be it internships, a job(s), or even volunteer work. On the same note, I feel that listing volunteer work and your skills acquired therein can highlight one’s character. One of the biggest keys in getting hired is your resume. As interdisciplinary students we have to take advantage of being able to show diversity in our schooling history. In my resume I highlight the skills I have gained as an education minor. I talk about my increased communication skills and the way I have utilized these skills. Then I reach into my other discipline social science. From social science I have taken skills of organization and a general view of the world and how it works. Together these skills highlighted in my resume show my interdisciplinary education and give my future employers a view of me as a well rounded educated future employee. I think cover letter is another aspect that as IDS students we can really take advantage of. The point of a cover letter is to tell information that gives you a competitive edge over others trying to get the job. Its not about reiterating information found in your resume but giving the employer a better view of you the person and what makes you different then other applicants.
Hey guys welcome back! We both hope your having a great semester, and we both look forward to reading your posts. Now without further delay here are the views of your favorite Mentors Mary and Peter.
Marys view... While we're all (I hope!), accustomed to interdisciplinarity within our academic lives, interdisciplinarity obviously plays a role within the professional realm. Despite the fact that universities tend to overwhelmingly emhasize the necessity of a single track of study, thus enforcing the idea of specialization, most careers utilize skills from various fields. While my professional experiences have been limited to the service industry, even within this thinking in an interdisciplinary way is still relevant- as a server my job is not limited simply to taking orders, I'm also responsible for creating a positive experience, interacting with my fellow staff, cleaning, and sometimes preparing desserts. It basically comes down to understanding that even within a specialized job, there are going to be aspects of a job outside that specialization.
My strongest professional skill, because I use it every time I work, is my ability to communicate- not only do I communication with the back of house and my co-workers, but also customers, and prospective business partners. Multi-tasking also plays an essential role in my job, because there are always tasks to manage and prioritize. In terms of my weakest skill, I would say that my motivation sometimes need a kick up, but I don't see this as being as much of an issue when I'm involved in a career that I feel passionate about. If anything, I need to find motivation by looking at my current career as a stepping stone towards another job and try and learn as much as possible where I'm at.
Although I wish I had taken advantage of the internship opportunities available at UCF, I did not utilize this because I couldn't find one area I felt dedicated to. However, I would definitely encourage participation- working in a professional environment, in your desired field, can offer a lot of useful information and important professional contacts/mentors.
Peters view... The benefits of the track we have taken, Interdisciplinary studies, are felt in all aspects of life. They are affecting our daily lives even today. As I near graduation, I am being effected by and utilizing. One of the most important skills I have taken from IDS are nonverbal conversational ones. I have learned the habits I have that give a negative connotation and now I am able to avoid them. Along with this I have been able to take the positive attributes and allow them to exceed the negatives. This is a great benefit for me as in my current work. I am in the service industry and the last thing you want to do is offend your guests! You always have the goal to entertain and leave them satisfied. I think the benefits of IDS really shine through there. I really have always been a hard worker but now to accompany this I have a comfortableness talking to strangers and engaging them in conversation, something I attribute to my education courses, that without the IDS programs flexibility I would of missed out on. Another strength that I have derived from IDS is my attention to detail. When you are serving people a clutch skill is to notice the little details and make sure they are taken care. Doing this is really beneficial. I am not impervious however to weaknesses. The first one, even though it’s strength, can also be a weakness. It’s my communication skills. Sometimes I find myself conversing too much. As a server sometimes you need to just put your head down and get work done. This is a skill I am trying to improve but rather then working directly on it I am focusing on time management. I think that my internship was a great chance to practice these skills and really recognize which ones were my strengths and which were my weaknesses. I was forced in here to communicate with a classroom but I couldn’t get stuck on one thing ad talk about it for fifty minutes. I had to make sure I managed my time efficiently while still covering subjects enough to education and amuse my class. The question for me even today is, What skill is going to be the most important twenty years from now?
We are all flooded with information on a daily basis, from magazines and books, to the television, and especially the internet. Critical thinking is key, not only in terms of an IDS major, but in terms of everyday life. Consider when any one of us have done a research paper- one of the major stipulations is limiting internet sources and maximizing use of academic articles and books. We've all see websites with extremely questionable information, it's a source where almost anything can be posted regardless of its inherent truth. Furthermore, even within academic resources, there is room for bias or simply a limited perspective. We have to utilize critical thinking to decipher what knowledge to take with a grain of salt. There's too much information available to simply take it at face value, in addition to that, there is also the nature of the media. Advertising and economic stakes play a huge role in what information is freely dispersed versus more critical information that is often subdued.
Furthermore, critical thinking thinking relates to our being interdisciplinary because we are forced to combine and integrate knowledge from different fields. Part of being critical is looking at the minute details, seeing the underlying relationships between subjects like art history and relating it to not only the cultural but the political aspects of a society in a given time period. As future holders of an IDS degree, we also need to be able to explain to other people the relations of our academic areas and how, at a critical thinking level, they relate.
Hey guys! Welcome back for another week of mentoring and discussion. While Peter and I offer different perspectives this week, we're going to be working more closely together from here on out, to give you guys the best possible information. Hopefully our own experiences can guide your future decisions with a little more clarity.
As a side note, please always feel free to ask us any questions, and while we don't have all the answers, we have a fair bit of combined knowledge.
Anyways, here's the good stuff.
Peter's Perspective: A very large part of IDS is taking the skills you will learn from your various field and integrating them so they work together. An example of this would be in my history classes I have learned how to thoroughly research and take information I find and determine its value as a resource. This skill while great would be useless in a classroom for my students unless I am able to integrate my knowledge of the subject with a form of teaching that will benefit my students. I need to take this information put it into a lesson plan and be able to teach a classroom how and why they should know this material.
For me this integration has been about looking into my future goals and what skills I really should be focusing on and trying to fine polish for my repertoire. I have integrated my minor with my areas of study by picking subjects that correlate. When I chose social science education I wanted to be a history teacher. It only made sense for history to be one of my areas of concentration. I now have extensive knowledge of various historical subjects and because of my minor I am able to put this knowledge into a beneficial classroom lesson.
This is all important because if you are not able to integrate the skill you have gained from your various areas and minor in my opinion you will have a weak basis of knowledge. This view comes because you are not focusing in on one certain subject you’re not mastering any subject rather getting tidbits from various subjects that are meant to be put together. The benefit you are supposed to derive is the ability to tie all the skills together and utilize them as one.
While I personally believe I have done a good job integrating my knowledge from the various areas of focus and minor there is always room for improvement. I have gained a lot of knowledge from my political science classes however I really don’t believe I have utilized this knowledge when it comes to my future profession of education. If a teacher asks for a lesson plan I always focus on a historical context rather then trying to use my political science knowledge. For me I just need to become more confident
Mary's Perspective:
Obviously, one of the most prominent features of an IDS degree is your ability to pick two distinctly different (although potentially related) fields of study and an IDS specific minor. However, the IDS program is not meant to steer you towards a dual-degree, rather there is an emphasis on the relationship between your areas of study. As mentioned in a past posting, one of my most integrated IDS programs was: Journalism and Social/Behavioral Studies with a minor in Middle Eastern studies. Not only did I have a purpose behind picking these areas, I had a goal, which was a future in journalism. Integration gives your degree more of a purpose- it emphasizes the fact that your IDS degree is more than a degree in Liberal Arts.
In terms of my current degree, my areas (once again, the Arts, Social/Behavior, with a minor in Humanities), each emphasizes divergent areas of study. However, I have been able to integrate my degree, it terms of the cultural emphasis intrinsic in each of these areas. Furthermore, the majority of my classes have also emphasized the historic relationships between various countries, along with their separate and unique cultures.
Personally, I believe that integration, in terms of academic development, gives one a more focused path upon which to pursue your education. Having a clear idea of how your areas relate, what you would like to pursue, and what you have learned from the pursuit of your degree also offers a form of professional credibility. Although I mentioned this in passing, it is essential that you convey the relationship of your areas of study and the skills you have gained through the experience when delving into a professional career of your choosing.
Finally, there are ways through which to more thoroughly integrate your areas of study and minor. First, while minors may be more limiting in their requirements, your focus areas are fairly extensive in their range. There’s a list at the IDS office (where I HOPE you’ve all visited), that details the courses permissible for each area of study. Your advisors are also highly capable and a priceless resource, they’re there because they want to discuss the potentials of your degree. Not only are there advisors at close range, consider moving beyond this realm and discussing your career ideas with someone involved in the field. They can offer plenty of useful information in terms of skills and the know-how needed for a given career. Furthermore, if you’re extremely unsatisfied with the relationship of your areas/minor, please at least considering changing one or more of these variables. There is a reason that IDS is so flexible, you need to have full confidence to stand behind your degree, especially with the saturated job market most of us will be entering in.
Mary Wilson on the E-Portfolio: The e-portfolio is a pretty significant tool as an IDS student. Despite the fact that it does take quite a bit of effort and work, ultimately not only is it rewarding, but it's necessary for your degree anyways! In terms of how the e-portfolio demonstrates your interdisciplinarity, it is what shows potential employers and the like how your focus areas come together, and what skills you have gained from the experience of earning your degree.
In terms of my own e-portfolio, I want to showcase both my artistic and academic achievements. As an artistic, it's always important to present your work in the most professional manner, while highlighting your skill and capability. Furthermore, I believe that the portfolio can be used to showcase my multifaceted nature to employers outside of the artistic field, that is, I can use pieces of evidence to show that I am also a capable writer.
I envision my e-Portfolio as a professional, albeit creative resume. Above anything else, I hope that my imagination and personality are conveyed in the most positive manner.
There are numerous things that can be used as evidence from my different classes. In terms of my art classes, I can post works created in past classes, or even show the development of ideas into art. For other courses, such as Humanities and Political Science, I can use research papers as evidence, once again to highlight my skills as a writer.
Peter Leiner on the E-Portfolio:
The E-portfolio is something that is very important because it demonstrates your various areas of interdisciplinarity. It does this by having you take pieces of work and skills you gained from various sources and ties them together. It allows you to hone in on your researching skills while demonstrating your writing skills. It puts an emphasis on real life and your personal future by allowing you to see what your options are within your major.
I personally envisioned my e-portfolio as a running representation of me. It should never be a concrete finished project but something I consistently work on to better myself. The part of it to me that is most important and I would hope stands out is my ability to communicate. In your e-portfolio I believe you should directly reach out to your future employers. The evidence you place in there should display your skills and talents and help separate you from others.
My name is Mary Wilson, I live in the East Orlando area and work at a local restaurant. This is my fourth and final year at UCF, hopefully I'll be graduating this December. My two areas of concentration are: Art (more specifically Art History) and Social/Behavioral Sciences (mostly International Relations), and my minors are Humanities and Political Science.
Explaining IDS to others is pretty simple, basically I point out that you pick two areas of concentration and a minor(s). None of your areas can overlap, obviously, at least in terms of your two focus areas and your IDS specific minor. It lets me explore all of my interests, with a lot of room for variety.
As mentioned above, one of the advantages is that you are able to study a lot of different areas. However, there are also many ways to combine two areas of study and a minor in a goal oriented way. At one point, I combined Journalism and Soc./Behav. Sciences, with a minor in Middle Eastern Studies- at the time I was contemplating working as a journalist abroad.
In terms of disadvantages, there are also combos that, while interesting, are less structured. This shouldn't necessarily scare one off, because part of being an IDS student is knowing your skills and explaining how your courses shaped your career skills.
Hey how is going my name is Peter Leiner. I am 23 years old and I am currently in my last semester at the University of Central Florida. I enjoy watching sports as well as playing them. I live life with the idea that if you keep smiling and have a positive outlook nothing can ever be that bad.
Currently in the IDS program I have a study area of humanities and political science with a minor in education. This program is one that lets you seek out multiple areas of interest rather then a certain subject area and spread your focus. In doing this I believe the program allows you to diversify and become a more unique and well rounded worker.While it does have some drawbacks like any major would I believe the advantages weigh heavier. Along with being able to diversify your education I believe as a student you gain a better perspective of the thoughts of different schools. While I was in the school of education it was all about focusing on the feelings and emotional responses students were giving you. I learned how to stand and talk in front of these students and read there body language. This is a skill that will always be useful. In my history courses I learned how to really read and analyze text. I became a master of research as well as gained the ability to use the internet for more then fun. In humanities I gained a better look on people in general. Without this program I would of only gained one of these skills.
Hello my name is Peter Leiner. I was born and raised in Ft. Lauderdale Florida. When the time came to choose universities UCF stood out above the rest because of three reasons. The first was location it was away from home but still a days car ride. The second reason was the high quality of education I knew I would receive from UCF. The final reason was because my brother attended UCF and had only good to speak of it. I chose IDS as my major because it gave me the chance to explore various fields of study while still earning credits towards my degree. I hope to continue my education after I graduate at Nova Southeastern Law School where I plan on studying Contractual Law. For right now I have three classes left and I am just trying to enjoy my last semester at UCF.
Hey Puffins! My name is Mary Wilson, and like the rest of you, I am an IDS student here at UCF. Although my original intention was to attend UCF to pursue studio art, I got caught on a couple hitches and went through quite a few changes in my major. Not only did I go from studio art to digital media, I also was an International Relations major, and an IDS major with a journalism focus. It has only been within the last year and a half that I've found my niche studying both art history and the humanities. In terms of my future goals, like many people my age and beyond, I'm not completely sure what I would like to do with my life. First and foremost I know that I would like to move out of Orlando, in search of new exciting opportunities and experiences. In addition to this, I am considering pursuing a secondary degree in Art Therapy or joining the Air Force for an apprenticeship in Mental Health services.
